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“Alisha is fine, Dad. Nothing to worry about. The doctor says she will be all right soon,” Ranveer explains as he comes to stand next to me.
In a moment, Dad’s demeanour becomes sullen as his eyes move from me to him, and he grits his teeth. “When can anything be right when he is around? Why are you even in his house?” Dad asks me. His questions stump me, and I feel my muscles tense.
“This is where she is supposed to be,” Ranveer intervenes, holding Dad’s gaze.
“Dad, I can explain,” I pitch in, trying to control the situation.
“My daughter doesn’t belong here,” Dad declares, ignoring me as he glowers at Ranveer.
I look at Ranveer, pleading with him to not say anything. “Alisha is my wife, and she surely belongs here,” he states, disregarding my plea.
Dad’s eyes move from Ranveer to me when he speaks, “I need to talk to my daughter alone.” There is pin-drop silence for a minute when I can feel my nerves on edge. “I am waiting for you in the car, Princess. We will go home and have the discussion,” he says and walks out of the room.
I am still in a state of shock, my mind sending me all the warning signals. I turn to Ranveer with a pained look. Before I can say anything, he speaks.
“You need to go home with your dad and have that conversation. I am giving you this one night because I understand how much you want this. I get it. But tomorrow, I will be there first thing in the morning to pick you up.”
I let out a breath and nod as I step out of the room, my feet feeling heavy while my mind is gripped by apprehension about the impending discussion.
???
“Dad, Ranveer and I have managed to tackle the issue between us,” I say, gripping my hands together while sitting on the swing in our garden.
“Do you really think he deserves a second chance, Princess?” Dad asks, uncertainty written all over his face.
This is what I was expecting to hear from Dad, and that’s one of the reasons I was trying to buy time before having this heart-to-heart. Now, looking at him, I can see that he’s not angry, but worried about me.
“Dad, I want to give my marriage a chance. I trust him.”
“You trust him?!” he repeats, crossing his arms across his chest.
I look at him, really unsure of what’s running in his mind. I’m so clueless. All I know is that whatever he is about to say, isn’t going to be in my favour.
“He has a wife and daughter, if you have forgotten,” he mumbles. I hug my knees to my chest to keep myself from shaking. “That’s a big deal and too much to handle, Alisha, and in the end, it will only bring tears to your eyes. That’s something which I will never wish to see.” I feel his body go taut as he speaks those words.
“There are things you still don’t know, Dad,” I whisper, feeling my throat clam up.
“Then why don’t you share them with me?”
I stare at him for a few seconds, gathering my thoughts. “Mili… she is not his daughter,” my tone is hushed while my body is shivering, unable to cope with the mounting tension.
“What?” Dad questions, as he takes an audible intake of breath while staring at me.
“Soha is his ex-wife and she… cheated on him.” I choke on the words and close my eyes for a fraction of a second, pulling in a deep breath. It takes me a few moments to compose myself. Once I get myself under control, I tell him Ranveer’s story. While I am relating to him, I observe the emotions fleeting through his face. Once I am done, I gaze up at him, afraid of what Dad has to say after learning the truth.
“Are you sure about him and you?” he asks, his voice laced with concern and worry.
Shrugging at his question, I tell him honestly, “Dad, I have not been so certain about anything in my life as I am right now; he is the one for me.”
I watch as his eyes close and then open up. “What about Mili? Where does she fit in?”
“Mili is his daughter. Our daughter. We are family.” I smile, remembering our times, just Mili, him and me, talking, laughing, cuddling. A perfect happy family. “I am giving our marriage a chance and going to move back to our house,” I confess quietly.
“Alisha, I don’t know what to say, but if this is what you want, then like always, we are here for you.”
“Thanks, Dad. It means the world to me.” I squeeze my eyes tightly, basking in the happiness.
“Your relationship with him comes as a package deal. Along with Mili, you will need to also accept his ex-wife, even if it means seeing her for a couple of minutes.” Dad points out.
